America: A Nation in a Sonnet

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Adopting formalities from the 16th century and intertwining them with formalities recognized today, Claude McKay‟s poem entitled America explicates passionate feelings, both positive and negative, toward the United States of America during the New Negro Movement in the 1920‟s and 1930‟s. America was originally published in 1921: a very exciting time for many Americans as the roaring twenties were coming into full swing and society was celebrating the decade of carefree decadence. However, there was a dark underbelly to America as well at the time. Blacks in the South, where McKay resided after emigrating from Jamaica, were being heavily discriminated against and Jim Crow‟s ugly hands were clutched firmly around many of the supposed “rights” that were given to blacks (Shechem, 2). This bitter dichotomy of mixed emotion, which was the dominant attitude portrayed by blacks at the time, reigns supreme within this poem. Taking the form of a Shakespearean sonnet McKay discloses deep, love/hate emotions toward this nation through metaphorical language, presenting an account of cultural identity as it tugs lines of poetic verse along for the ride. As previously-mentioned, McKay conveys an interesting love/hate expression about the current superpower nation, ferrying back and forth between intense optimistic and pessimistic tones of both America and the American societal norms of the period. In the first four lines, McKay displays a disdainful tone towards being dependent on America: “Although she feeds me bread of bitterness, and sinks into my throat her tiger‟s tooth, stealing my breath of life, I will confess, I love this cultured hell that tests my youth” (Maxwell, 23). Like a child to his/her mother, the speaker depends he... ... middle of paper ... ...during the 1920s. While it was thriving, it was dying. Claude McKay captured the essence of America, creating an imaginative, enjoyable piece of art to speak for him. Works Cited Lewis, Ruby Marie. “Claude McKay‟s „America‟.” Old-School Formalism and New-School Protocol. Bowling Green, KY: Western Kentucky University, 2005. 14 March 2011. Maxwell, William. “On „America‟.” The Complete Poems of Claude McKay. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2003. 14 March 2011. Shechem, Jeremy. “Frustrating Duality: An explication of Claude McKay‟s „America‟.” Edumacation 101. 14 March 2011. 21 December 2009. < http://edumacation101.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/frustrating-duality-an-explication-of-america-by-claude-mckay/>

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